Pest Safety

  It’s time for a tick talk, because they’re around even when you don’t know it. They lurk through tall grasses, wooded areas, and backyards. They attach to warm-bodied hosts like you, your pets, and wild animals.  Ticks are a type of arachnid (like spiders!), and much like outdoor-loving humans, their peak activity periods occur…

  Original Publish Date: March 5th, 2015 | Updated: June 26th, 2025   Summer is in full swing, and so are those pesky fleas, so it’s time to make sure your furry friend is protected.  These common pests may seem ordinary, but fleas can pose a threat to your family and your pets; they are…

Along with ants and sawflies, wasps and bees are scientifically classified as insects in the Hymenoptera order. Thus, wasps and bees are close relatives in the animal kingdom and have many mutual features.  Like most creatures, wasps and bees need homes to safely shelter from predators and the elements, store food, eat, prepare for each…

Let’s face it, nature can be scary. But sometimes it’s hard to know whether or not our fears are validated, especially when it comes to insects. It can be difficult to discern if that buzzing miniscule monster flying at us is a passive bumble bee or a murder hornet! Odds are, that’s not a murder…

Home is where we feel the safest – until stinging insects move in. Next thing you know, you feel the sting of an angry insect that doesn’t want a neighbor. For most people it’s a painful annoyance, but 0.8% of children and 3% of adults are allergic to insect stings from bees, wasps, yellow jackets, hornets and fire ants. An allergic reaction…

Scorpions may not do damage to your property, but they are still a hazardous nuisance around your home. Scorpions are one of the 12 bugs found on the Children’s of Alabama’s list of poisonous insects. Researchers at the Regional Poison Control Center at Children’s of Alabama found that in 2014, brown scorpions stung people more than any other insect in…

It’s official – mosquito season is here. With each passing day the buzzing grows louder at dusk as mosquitoes come out to feast. People quickly abandon their outdoor pursuits and run for cover indoors rather than risking a bite. They may be tiny and annoying, but mosquitoes are the most dangerous insects on the planet.…

A lot has happened in the last 12 months since Zika became a threat here in the U.S. Awareness about the dangers of the Zika virus is much higher, giving many people one more reason to protect against mosquito bites. In this update we’re taking a look at what’s been done to combat the virus…